Monday, June 2, 2014

g(Math) for Sheets Help

Thanks for installing my Add-on! g(Math) can directly input graphs and complex math into a cell in your Google Spreadsheet. All you need to do is click on a cell and then Insert your math expression or graph into that cell. When you insert the expression or graph, it will insert as an image using a Spreadsheet formula. The row and column will automatically resize bigger to help you view your image better.
The benefit of entering the math expressions and graphs into the Spreadsheet is you can use them to create questions in a Google Form!

Some Help tips:

The full complement of LaTeX commands are not supported, although many are. If you are having difficulty finding the LaTeX command you want to create, check out these resources:

For gGraph: You must have your equation in y= format. Also, if you want to multiply two terms together you must use the * operator. So if you want 3x, you must type 3*x.
You can now plot 2 functions on the same graph by entering in a 2nd function in the optional area!

For g(Math) Quick Quiz Creator:

g(Math) inserts an image into a cell using a formula. The g(Math) Quick Quiz Creator knows this formula and puts the images into a form with a blank question text item underneath it to allow for the response.
In the response destination form, you will need to add your own question description in the 1st row. You can edit the form to allow for multiple choice responses instead of a blank text item.

I tried to create a Quiz Creator that would be the simplest to use and generate valuable information in the form as seamlessly as possible. As such, the directions for each problem just say Solve. You will need to edit this for your purposes. There is a more advanced Quiz Creator in the pipeline that will use a template to allow for more robust question creation.

How do you create a form easily that contains math?
1. Use g(Math) to create math in your Spreadsheet and then select g(Math) Quick Quiz Creator from the g(Math) menu.

2. Select the range of questions that you want to make into form questions.

3. Click Preview. It will confirm your selection and ask you if you want to Proceed to make a quiz using that question range.

4. Click Proceed and enter the Form Title name in the box.

5. When you click Create Form, my minions will make your Form containing the questions you selected in your range. You will see the message popup in the bottom of the Sidebar to see that it is working.

6. After the Form is created a Popup Window will tell you the URL to edit your form.

7. Go to the Form to further edit your questions if needed. I made the directions of each question Solve to streamline the quiz creation process. You probably want to edit the question directions.

8. You will notice that there is a response box under each question. This is actually a blank question with a text response. You can change this to Multiple Choice if you want (or any other type of Form question that is allowed). You cannot insert images into Multiple Choice options yet.

In the form response destination, each of the question responses in the header row will be blank, you need to manually type in the question you want to use (or use g(Math) to insert the image in that row).

Live Form:

Response Spreadsheet:

Now you can create Google Forms containing math easily!!

Possible Errors:

Some reasons you might get an error during Form Creation:

You can only select math expressions or graphs that were created with g(Math) for Form Questions.

You cannot have any blank cells selected.

You must select cells that are consecutive. The easiest way to do this is click and drag or click-shift-click.

Please let me know if you are having difficulty and I will try to help you out!